1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and system for providing information to a user regarding an image filmed by using a sight image input device such as a camera on a moving body or the like, by overlaying geographical information regarding each sub-domain of the image on an image display device or a transmissive screen.
The present application is based on Patent Applications Nos. Hei 9-75471, Hei 9-186679, Hei 9-213251 and Hei 9-280727 filed in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Conventional Art
As conventional systems for notifying users of geographical information relating to the user's surroundings, there are various types of navigation systems. For example, Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 8-273000 discloses a navigation device comprising a position renewal section for renewing the position of a vehicle by referring to road map data when position data and movement data of the vehicle are input, a display data generating section for generating display road data and display background data based on map data and the like, a three-dimensional video image data generating section for preparing three-dimensional video image data based on these display data, and a memory section. When a user presets a travel route including a destination area and transit areas, this navigation device offers the capability of setting routes while regarding a video image display screen prepared by a computer which reproduces actually existing roads and the surroundings thereof, instead of a two-dimensional map screen. Additionally, according to this device, a user is able to see a moving image display which follows the route over which the user is actually traveling.
However, when performing route guidance using the same device, the user must ultimately compare the actual scenery with the geographical information from the computer, in order to identify what the objects in the actual scenery are. In other words, in order to identify what a building, road or mountain actually in the user's perspective is, the user must subconsciously work the brain in order to perform correspondence work between what the user sees and the symbols in the map which is displayed as a moving image. In cities, the user compares the map prepared by the computer with the actual scenery in order to grasp the user's orientation or to find landmarks, and after recognizing the features of buildings in the direction of progression, reconsiders the map to identify the building. For this reason, the work of comparing the map in the computer with the actual scenery several times to correlate objects on the part of the user cannot be eliminated. Particularly in darkness or at night, the actual scenery is difficult to see, and it is difficult to make a correlation.